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Author Topic: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students  (Read 1655 times)

Harold Tuttle

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Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« on: November 12, 2010, 11:49:48 PM »
Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
November 12, 2010, 3:24 pm

By Marc Parry
Blind students and professors suffer “pervasive and ongoing discrimination” at Penn State University because of the widely inaccessible nature of technology used on the campus, according to a federal complaint filed today by the country’s largest organization of blind people.

In contrast to its other recent campaigns elsewhere, which were narrower in scope, the National Federation of the Blind this time cites accessibility problems across the university. They include Penn State’s course-management software, library catalogue, and departmental Web sites. Even the Web site for its Office of Disability Services is not fully accessible to the blind, said the federation.


moar:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/penn-state-accused-of-discriminating-against-blind-students/28154
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2010, 12:45:21 AM »
I wish these anti-discrimination laws would hurry up and give sight to the blind, like they're supposed to.  ;/
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2010, 06:53:04 AM »
but that would have a huge negative impact upon the "Blind Culture"
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CNYCacher

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2010, 07:00:47 PM »
Speaking as a web developer, there are general guidelines you can follow to make websites more accessible to the blind.  There are also rules you should follow if you want full accessibility, and certification tests you can run on your code to make sure everything is up to spec.

Almost nobody does this though.
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MicroBalrog

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2010, 09:52:06 PM »
Quote from: CNYCacher on November 13, 2010, 07:00:47 PM
Speaking as a web developer, there are general guidelines you can follow to make websites more accessible to the blind.  There are also rules you should follow if you want full accessibility, and certification tests you can run on your code to make sure everything is up to spec.

Almost nobody does this though.

This.

There are people who have legitimate sight issues and it's customary (and in some places legally mandated) for colleges to accomodate for them. Their claim is not, in this sense, outrageous.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2010, 09:57:24 PM »
While I fully support providing as much accommodation to the blind as possible I have a question.

Why do drive up ATMs have braille keypads?
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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2010, 11:14:25 PM »
They share keys pads with the non drive up ATMs, and a lot of blind people take taxis to places most sighted people don't. Including drive up ATMs.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2010, 11:19:09 PM »
This is even more stupid than the ruling that our paper money discriminates against the blind. The government is under no obligation to make the blind see, and no blind person has a right to see what he cannot see due to his own blindness.

I have no problem with changing our currency or a university's technology to make things easier for the handicapped. But is it a matter of right? Clearly not.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2010, 11:22:07 PM »
not a fan of ada?
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2010, 11:34:39 PM »
Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on November 13, 2010, 11:22:07 PM
not a fan of ada?

Or of EO for private businesses.  =)
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2010, 11:36:06 PM »
penn state is not a private organization   i'd agree about a private group
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It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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Perd Hapley

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2010, 12:33:36 AM »
Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on November 13, 2010, 11:36:06 PM
penn state is not a private organization   i'd agree about a private group

I know. Did you not read my previous post? EO laws regarding race make perfect sense for government, but not for the private sector. But this kind of making the blind see doesn't even make sense for govt. entities. It's not Penn State's fault that people have physical limitations.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2010, 12:36:22 AM »
there are many levels of blindness its actually one of the easier disabilities to accommodate.
is there a specific accommodation, that you are aware of, that's objectionable?
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It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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Antibubba

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #13 on: November 14, 2010, 03:14:39 AM »
Quote
Why do drive up ATMs have braille keypads?

So that a blind person in the back of a taxicab doesn't have to give his PIN to the driver.
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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #14 on: November 14, 2010, 07:17:09 AM »
Penn State is certainly not a private organization. At the least they are part of state government. More to the point, if they receive any funding at all from the Feds, they are subject to ADA compliance. The ADA has been in affect since 1994 ... you'd think by now institutions that are happy to line up at the Federal feeding trough would have gotten a clue.
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wuluf

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2010, 11:57:11 AM »
How'd their rifle team do this weekend?
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Harold Tuttle

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2010, 04:57:53 PM »
Previous NFB action against a University:

http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/legal-services-litigation/12391294-1.html

National Federation of the Blind sues over Kindle DX electronic reading device
By Krivitzky, Aaron
Publication: Lawyers USA
Date: Thursday, July 9 2009

Two organizations representing blind individuals are suing to prevent a university from using Amazon's Kindle DX electronic reading device as a tool to distribute electronic textbooks to its students.

The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind sued Arizona State University, claiming that the Kindle DX cannot be used by blind students because its menus are not accessible to them.

The lawsuit alleges that the university's new technology initiative violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
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"The true mad scientist does not make public appearances! He does not wear the "Hello, my name is.." badge!
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He only has one purpose--Do bad things to good people! Mit science! What good is science if no one gets hurt?!"

cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Penn State Accused of Discriminating Against Blind Students
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2010, 05:01:58 PM »
blind folks can amaze ya.  holy cross hospital had a blind lab tech.  she would freak folks out who didn't know.  she used to not turn the lights on in her lab and folks would walk in and be scared by here
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It is much more powerful to seek Truth for one's self.  Seeing and hearing that others seem to have found it can be a motivation.  With me, I was drawn because of much error and bad judgment on my part. Confronting one's own errors and bad judgment is a very life altering situation.  Confronting the errors and bad judgment of others is usually hypocrisy.


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